Isle of Man Newspapers has appointed a new editor to oversee its three titles and their companion website.

Richard Butt, left, will take charge of the Isle of Man Examiner, Isle of Man Courier, Manx Independent and iomtoday.co.im from Monday.

Richard, who grew up on the island, began his journalistic career with Isle of Man Newspapers in 1989. He moved to Manchester in 1994 and went on to edit the biggest local weekly newspaper in Britain, Manchester Metro News.

For the last two years the 41-year-old has worked as a reporter and editor for Channel M, the Guardian Media Group’s local television station in Manchester.

Said Richard: “I am thrilled to be returning home. Even though I’ve been living in Manchester for the last 14 years, I’ve always thought of the island as home – and have remained an avid reader of the local papers and the website all that time.

“One of the most wonderful things about the Isle of Man is its strong sense of community. In comparison with a lot of local newspapers in the UK, the Manx papers have much stronger bonds with the community they serve. I hope to continue that tradition and build on their reputation as the island’s most trustworthy sources of news and information.”

Richard added that the media world is changing, largely because of the internet. “Isle of Man Today is already much more comprehensive and forward-looking than a lot of local papers’ websites elsewhere,” he said.

“As readers turn to the internet more and more for news, sport and advertising, the site must go from strength to strength. I hope that my experience in television will further improve video content on the site and give our readers and customers an even better view of life on the Isle of Man.”

The papers’ previous editor, John Sherrocks, has moved to France.